Toria



(N0-Model.)

' J. D, SCOULER.

`SHEEP SHEARING MACHINE;

No..5`76,902. Patented Feb. 9, 1897.

To all whom, t may concern.-

` U Nrrnn STATES JAMESDOBIE SGOULER, OF ST. JAMES, VICTORIA, ASSIGNOR TO .GEORGE GOLES, OF SAME PLACE, AND WILLIAM MCLEAN, OF

TORIA.

MELBOURNE, VIC- SHEEP-SHEARING MAOHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 576,902, dated February 9, 1897. Application led October 15, 1896. Serial No. 608,962. (No model.)

Be it known that I, JAMES DoBIE ScoULER, engineer, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Main Street, St. James, in the Colony of Victoria, have invented Improvements in Sheep-shearing Machines, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to those classes of sheep-shearing machines in which a cutter is reciprocated over and in contact with a comb through the medium of compressed air or other suitable motive fluid acting upon the vanes or blades of a horizontal rotating motor-wheel. Its object is to simplify and improve the construction of such machines, so that they will work more smoothly without wasting so much power in friction and so that they may be. more easily adjusted or taken to pieces when required.

It relates lnore particularly to the driving mechanism and means of adjusting the ten-V sion of the cutter upon the comb.

This invention will be more easily understood on reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a Vertical central section, and Fig. 2 a plan, of a sheep-shearing machine constructed according to this invention and showing the cover removed, while Fig. 3 is a plan of the under side of the front portion of the cover of said machine, illustrating the arrangement of the cutteradjusting devices. Fig. et is a side elevation, and Fig. 5 a plan, of the under side of the cutter-tension-regulating nut.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts throughout the drawings.

A represents the base or main portion of the casing of the machine, while B represents the upper part or cover of said casing. This latter is secured to the former by means of a stout set-screw or stud C, which also serves as the fulcruni of an oscillating operatinglever D, whereby the requisite reciprocating motion is imparted to the cutter E. The rear end of this lever D :is formed with a slot d,

or, if preferred, it may be forked, as will be readily understood. Inside this slot d works an antifriction-roller F,which is mounted eccentrically upon the hub of a comparatively large horizontal motor-Wheel G, fitting closely Withinthe rear end of the casing A, which is made circular at said rear end, as shown in Fig. 3, lto receive it. This motor-Wheel G is made with a groove g around its periphery, and in said groove are arranged a number of approximately radial blades or vanes g',

against which the motive fluid impinges, aA

iat ring g2 being secured around their upper edges in order to strengthen and keep them in place.

The wheel G is mounted upon two sets of antifriction-balls arranged as follows: Into the hub of said wheel is screwed a hardened bushing H, turned with inclined surfaces h h' near each end and fitting within a recessed portion I in the bottom of the casing A, While through the bushing H and recessed portion I a set-screw or stud J passes and when in position is securely fastened by a lock-nut j. The upper end of this set-,screw or stud is made with a flaring head, thus. ,forming an inclined surface j', corresponding to the surface 71, in the upper end of -the bushing H. Fitting around the set-screw or stud J and resting upon the bottom of the cap I is a loose collar ,72, formed with an inclined surface corresponding With that marked h. in the lower end of the bushing I-I. Between these two surfaces h t7'2 work a number of small antifriction, hardened-steel balls K, and similarly between the surfaces h j are other similar' balls K. By these means the motor-wheel G is free to rotate Without much friction or Vibration, and so prolongs the life of the machine.

The compressed air or other motive fluid is conducted to the rear end of the casing A through a suitable flexible wire-bound or other pipe and thence through a passage L, provided for that purpose in the casing A, until near the front of the wheel G, where it is directed through an approximately tangential port with considerable force against the vanes or blades g' of the motor-Wheel G, afterward escaping through the narrow part of the casin g forming the handle of the machine and out over the cutter and comb.

The requisite tension is kept on the forward end of the operating-lever D, so as to hold the cutter E down with sufficient pressure upon the comb M by means of an oscillating tension-arm N, the rear end of which is formed with an upwardly-projecting stud or pin n., passing up into a screw-threaded cap O, the lower end of which is formed with an inclined recess O, corresponding with a similar surface O2 on the lower end of the stud or pin n, for the purpose of carrying a set of small antifriction-balls K2. In a similar way its upper end is formed with an inclined recess O3, corresponding with an 0ppositely-inclined surface O4 on a nut or screwthreaded collar O5, secured by a small locknut O6 on the upper end of the stud or pin n, and between said inclined surfaces O3 O4 are arranged another set of balls K3.

The screw-threaded cap O is made in two parts, the upper of which O7 is screwed onto the lower part andhas amilled head, as shown in Fig. 4, while the lower part is formed with a number of vertical grooves O8 at regular intervals, as illustrated in Figs. l and 5. WVith these grooves the forward end of a small horizontallysliding spring-bolt P engages in order to retain the cap O in any p0- sition into which it may be turned, thus preventing the tension becoming accidentally slackened, owing to the vibration of the machine or otherwise.

The front end of the tension-arm N bears upon the end of the cutter-operatin g lever'D, and is connected to it by a pin n', projecting upwardly from said lever and workin g within a slot n2 in the front extremity of said arm, this slot being provided to allow for the relative movements of the lever and arm as each one oscillates about its own pivot.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is l. In a sheep-shearing machine, the combination with the casing, the comb, the cutter, and the oscillatorycutter-lever having a pin n projecting upward from its forward end, of the tension-arm N having in its forward end a slot n2 engaged with said pin, an upward-projecting pin or stud n on the rear end of the tension-arm, a screw-threaded cap O placed over and around said stud and having in its periphery vertical grooves O8, a spring-pressed bolt P to engage the grooves of said cap, and antifriction-balls between the stud and cap, substantially as described.

2. In a sheep-shearing machine, the combination with the casing, the comb, the cutter, and an oscillatory cutter-operating lever having its rear end formed with a slot CZ and its forward end provided with an upwardprojecting pin n', of a tension-arm N pivoted at its rear end in the top of the easing and provided at its forward end with a slot n2 engaged with pin n', means for adjusting the pressure of the tension-arm, a horizontally-mounted motor-wheel having its periphery provided with vanes, ball-bearings for the hub of said wheel, a friction-roller mounted eceentrically on the hub 0f the motor-wheel and engaged in the slot of the cutter-operating lever, and means for conducting a motive iiuid to the vanes of the lnotorwheel, substantially as described.

.IABIES DOBIE vSCOULR.

lVitnesses: A

EDWARD IVATERs, EDWARD WATERS, Jr. 

